


Chatoyant

by lexiebuns



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Character Development, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Original Character(s), Other, Relationship Development
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-09-22 20:11:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9623585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexiebuns/pseuds/lexiebuns
Summary: Through life's highs and lows, its most intense or dull, we are constantly in the midst of one experience or another. The paths walked tend to defy expectations with twists and turns--while we move forward with a destination in mind the little details are often ignored.This is a collection of shorts, through the eyes of Paris' young superheroes and those around them. Different shorts will focus on a variety of things--some being character development or past, other being the shift, change or development of a relationship, some possibly answering questions many have in regards to the magic of the miraculouses.





	1. Reddish (pt.1)

**Author's Note:**

> This short is comprised of two chapters, following a small portion of Nino Lahiffe's afternoon as attempts to get closer to Alya, resulting in talks he didn't expect.
> 
> Apologies for any typos.

It was hard to describe why it was so enchanting.

 

De facto there was know need to. Nino Lahiffe was a simple man. If he liked something, what was the purpose of mulling over the ‘whys or what ifs’ in regard to it? The experience itself along with the buzz it gave him, was enough to push aside any qualms that might have an impact on him at a later point. Stressing over the something or its implications lessens the enjoyment of that experience, who would do that?Well, he could think of a few individuals who had that issue, namely one blonde friend in particular.

Nino cast a side glance at Adrien, who stared ahead as their lesson droned on. An ordinary person would look at Adrien at this point in time, taking him at face value, and admire how much of a diligent student he was. This was naturally true, however they would miss a lot of other key details. Despite his serene yet somewhat empty expression, something was bothering the boy. The way he chewed his cheek and lightly drummed his fingers were a few the small giveaways, which Nino learned through observation over time. He filed away a mental note to ask Adrien about it at a later time.

Thus Nino turned his attention back to what transfixed him in the first place. 

 

Alya Césaire’s hair. 

 

Yes it was the silliest thing in the world. God help him if anyone happened to find out about things like that. But… it was just…..so beautiful. It had evolved quite a bit in the past, was it two years now? Changing shape, style—heck even color. Most people would be hesitant about going from one bold extreme to another, but definitely not her. If a stranger asked him to explain who Alya Césaire was, he would simply sum it up through her hair. 

It was a reddish color when they met, after that encounter he quickly learned not to use the word “reddish” when describing it—doing so elicited icy looks from her. His teenaged brain struggled to understand girls and their complex nature. He didn’t care if someone said “reddish”,why would a minor thing like that trip someone up? Amber, auburn, cherry, burgundy…ombré? Why did girls have to make things so complicated? What did the last one even mean!?

Regardless at that point it was ombré, or something of that nature. The sheer volume of her hair prompted her to straighten it as well, as straight as one could manage anyway. He thought it was cute then, but it became much better as time went on. After trying numerous styles she was no longer interested in the upkeep and decided to stop dying and straightening all together.

The result _floored_ him—with its effects never lessening, even though he glanced at her on a daily basis. It was this rich darker color, and it coiled and curled into ringlets. They stuck out in all directions and doubled the volume of her hair. He admired the way they all gracefully bounced and swayed when she turned to look at him, usually after he made an obnoxious comment or some attempt at flirting. He liked the way they framed her face......and how there were smaller ringlets near the nape of her neck, which was now visible due to her curly fro. 

 

“Well Monsieur Lahiffe, do tell us your answer.”

 

His eyes shot straight up to the stern face of _Madame Ours_ , their French literature professor. While transfixed he didn’t realize Alya was looking back at him, blatantly aware of his staring. She wasn’t alone. Numerous eyes around the entire class peered at him curiously. He swallowed hard. 

Nino’s gaze flicked back at his best friend. Adrien's brows knitted together as he scribbled some form of an answer—to save his sorry ass of course. Adrien looked up and they locked eyes. Similarly to the aforementioned situation, an ordinary person would dismiss their gaze—as, well, simply that—a gaze. But yet again they both knew otherwise. Adrien looked somewhat stern and shook his head ever so slightly.

 

_Nino don’t do it._

The corners of Lahiffe’s lips twitched. A smug smile was struggling to break across his face.

_I’m going to do it man._

_Nino if you poke the bear you will regret it._

 

“ _Monsieur Lahiffe!_ ” 

 

Nino, along with the rest of the wandering eyes around the room, turned their attention back to the unhappy teacher at the front. Nino smiled sweetly.

 

“Hmm?”

“Your answer. _Now._ ” she barked with an impatient placement of her hands on her hips.

 

“Oh, _answer_? Who’s answer? If it’s mine you’re looking for it seems like I lost it somewhere.” He grinned devilishly as some of his peers giggled, which didn’t make the situation any better. 

 

“If you don’t stop fooling around Monsieur Lahiffe I can assure you there will be consequences. We were discussing the protagonist’s downfall. Can you repeat at what point in the novel it takes place? We were just discussing it.”

 

Everyone peered back at him, awaitingan answer.

“Well......”

“ _Well?_ ”

“....It’s unfortunate,” he stated simply.

 

She raised an eyebrow at him. “What exactly is unfortunate Monsieur Lahiffe?”

“It’s unfortunate,” he couldn’t hold it in much longer, “because we all know, obviously, I wasn’t paying attention to you Madame Ours—or whatever you were going on about. So, _no_ , I don’t have an answer.” 

His gaze flicked down to Alya and then proceeded to give her a wink. The other party did not feel the same way about his childish antics. Her arms were crossed, clearly not impressed. Meanwhile the entire class burst into laughter, snickers, “oohs” and anything else in between—even Adrien and Marinette struggled to keep it in.

Madame Ours was far, _far_ from amused, he could feel it through the daggers she shot at him. 

“Perhaps it will be easier for you to concentrate tomorrow in my class after school, where there are no _distractions._ ” He mentally snorted at that one, she clearly had underestimated the amount of imagination fodder he possessed. “It’s unfortunate you’re waisting your potential Monsieur Lahiffe.”

He shrugged and smiled back at her. His sudden reply went through no filter whatsoever; “Hey now teach, consider it a blessing in disguise. If I was working at, like, one hundred percent you would probably have to be worried. Heck, I might even _swoop in_ and do your job for you—maybe more folks would probably pay attention?”

And that was the last nail in his coffin.

 

➸

 

“Honestly,” Adrien muttered as he packed up his things. “I have no idea how you managed to get that many detentions in a single afternoon.” Students chattered incessantly at the school days end and streamed one by one out of the classroom’s reach. Nino’s eyes wandered toward the exit. Light seeped through, illuminating those passed through the classroom doors. Nearby stood Alya and Marinette in the middle of conversation. Alya was turned away from him, but judging by Marinette’s expressions--the conversation they were having was a good one. 

His view was suddenly obstructed by certain male model trying to get his attention. He eyed Adrien, who seemed serious for the few moments he could muster, but eventually he broke out into a grin. Nino squinted as he eyed his friend. When did he get so tall? Naturally they both grew, _a lot_ , in the past two or so years. They always remained neck in neck throughout, but it seemed like Nino was starting to cap at six feet. The latter was not that much taller, but the extra few centimeters irked Nino nevertheless. 

_Puberty_. An unenjoyable period graced by everyone—however only blessed by some. A curious veil that seemed to make the undesirable very desirable, somewhat similar to a strange magic trick. If its user however is _already_ desirable, the result happens to be Adrien freaking Agreste. Everyone was oh so aware of that fact--on occasion--even his best friend gawked in disbelief. Despite this Nino, in his opinion,was certainly warranted some praise for the success that stood before him. With a bit of time and coaxing he succeeded in getting Adrien to alter his hairstyle. The sides were shortened,but his locks on top otherwise still flicked and waved—all falling in the direction of his cowlick. Indeed this satisfied him, but in all honestly Nino was also smug with the effects puberty had on himself.

“Well bro it doesn’t bother me. I like to keep things interesting.” Adrien rolled his eyes at that remark, “—so what are you up to today?”

“Well,“ Adrien hummed, looking thoughtful, “I have fencing around four and Russian later—“ Nino paused in disbelief.

“Adrien, that’s your fourth day of fencing lessons in a row man! Russian? Do you not want to learn Chinese any—“

Adrien cut in before could finish. “Apparently my trainer thinks my performance has been… lagging lately. In all honestly it’s probably my Dad though…we had a little spat last week. Hence the Chinese and now Russian.” 

So this is what was bothering him. Nino noticed how much colder Mr. Agreste’s demeanor had grown and even more so when he was around. Adrien was socializing more than before, not just with him, Marinette or Alya—which was really great for him. There was a positive correlation between Adrien’s mood and people. His friendliness and ability to make one feel at ease was alluring to many, but it came at the expense of his home life. This vexed Nino incredibly, he was practically ready to throttle Adrien’s father every time he was in the vicinity. 

“—Anyway, tomorrow he’s out for the day. We can definitely hang out, sound good?” His eyes were bright, Nino could see through his attempts to lighten the conversation.

“Of course man. We can duke it out in Ultimate Mecha Strike III.” They clasped hands as Adrien finished. Finally having visibility because his boy shifted he quickly looked back at the door frame.

“Shit, gotta go, bye!” he mumbled out, maneuvering around Adrien and bolting out the door.

  

➸

  

“HEY—CÉS—UH ALYA!” 

 

Looking for the source of shrieking, Alya turned around only to be greeted by a staggering Nino. Once reaching her he paused, trying to regain the breath he lost in his rush to get to her. She snorted, prompting him to look at her.

“You good?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Woo—man _head rush!_ But uh--yeah we’re all good.” He grinned, shooting double finger guns. Thus Alya rolled her eyes and started walking again, expecting he would follow. While walking she quietly waited, curious for him proceed with whatever he had dashed after her for. Nino however, was also quiet—as if he was carefully mulling over the words he would utter next, a rarity for Nino. After a few moments of silence it was obvious he needed some encouragement.

“That was quite a stunt you pulled today Lahiffe. I’m surprised she didn’t whoop you on the spot.” Alya coaxed.

He grinned in response and stretched his arms over his head. “Nah she wouldn’t do that, I’m one of her favorites. But hey, I’m glad someone was entertained.”

“ _Oh no no_ , don’t twist my words Lahiffe.” She warned, waving a finger in his direction. “I never said your stunt was entertaining.”

“Oh, my mistake then.” He winked, “I guess I’m going to have to try harder next time.” 

Her expression was incredulous. “Try harder? Nino, how many times do you intend on getting in trouble for gawking at me.”

 

He froze. 

 

“U—uh—uh—“ he could immediately feel the rush of heat to his face as he stuttered, only to get worse as more time passed.

“Well now, someone looks a bit _reddish_ to me.” She giggled and that statement didn’t make him feel any better. After a few moments of him standing there mortified, she rolled her eyes and continued, “Calm down, I’m just yanking your chain Lahiffe.” She punched him lightly in the arm, prompting him to stand straighter. Nino quickly changed the topic.  

“—anyway, I was wondering. Do you…have any plans after school?”

Alya stopped and faced him. From her perspective he was a bean stalk, looking up she blinked. “You mean right now basically?”

He watched as she eyed him. It took every ounce of willpower and concentration not too just blankly stare back and admire her. “Yes?” His response sounded more like a question. 

She smirked and continued walking. “No, I think my schedule is pretty free.”

“No blogs to manage?” He asked warily.

“Has there been any recent action or attack?” She countered.

“…No, no I don’t think so….so….that means we’re good right?” he finished tentatively.

She smiled coyly in response, “ _We_? What do you mean by that Lahiffe?”

_Shooooot._ His brain scrambled in attempt to remain smooth. Nino cleared his throat and started gingerly, “Uh, well. So I was thinking…” He paused for a few moments in attempt to generate any sort of word.

“Go on.”

“I was thinking…you know …it just so I happens I’m free—right now I mean…” If the experience of walking across a minefield with a blindfold on could be put into feelings, Nino was feeling that to the power of fifty right now. 

“And you said you were free…so I was wondering, if you feel like it obviously…do you wanna just….chill by the Seine with a beer…with me…and you…you know…super casual...very cas?” He squeezed his eyes shut, ready for impact.

 

_Silence_. It was only followed by silence. The silence that dragged on for about an eternity too.

 

“ _Oh my god_.”

 

ACK! Alarms and signals fired in his head, this was way worse then anything any teacher could ever muster or throw at him. What if this all blew up in his face? Was it a mistake? Did he speak to soon? Did it sound ridiculous? Would this break up the friend group? Adrien would seriously be pissed— 

“Lahiffe, did you just ask me out on a date?” She was smirking slyly with a mixture of disbelief.

“Alya. Those are your words not mi—”

“So you really did ask me out on a date?” Alya broke out into a grin broke. He on the other hand paled, pressing his lips into a firm tight line.

“I mean—if that’s what you think it is I won’t argue—” 

In a sudden, quick motion he stumbled forward—barely having time to catch himself. She had already linked her arm in his and was walking forward in stride.

“Lead the way _Casanova_ , I better be impressed.” Alya smirked as he began to compose himself, a sudden wave of relief washed over him after processing what had just occurred. 

“Also, that beer is on you Lahiffe.”

“—Uh yup, no problemo.”

 


	2. Reddish (pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino has successfully, in his words, asked Alya to "hang out in a super casual, chill way". Interesting conversation ensues in the second, final, part of this drabble. There are many more to come featuring others in the series of drabbles that ism, Chatoyant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack! I'm sorry it's taken me like a month. I also just came up with an idea for a really long slow burn fic (reveals, hawkmoth, miraculous lore, the good stuff). I refuse to start until this is gets a bit closer to being finished. I present to you two nerds.

Nino couldn’t hide the cheeky grin plastered across his face. The whole ordeal was unbelievable. It had all gone so well, he definitely never expected any attempt, let alone the first, to be successful. He just…needed to play it cool, avoid babbling. No babbling at all costs.

_Oh god what if I do babble? She hates that right? My jokes don’t fly so smoothly with Alya. Well, maybe they’ll grow on her, after all I think I’m pretty hilarious. But I should hold off…for n_ ow.

He quickly pushed all thoughts of self-doubt and unnecessary worry out of his mind, solely focusing on the girl to his right. The _gorgeous_ girl to his right. That aspect of the situation was what set him on edge the most. He would not let himself screw up. 

Nino doted and pined after Alya for past year now. Wistfully staring and longing during many a class, hoping to just simply talk to her. In the beginning however, it was out of the question. Simply not feasible in any way, shape or form. The possible outcome of rejection was daunting and Nino’s lack of skill in romantic scenarios did not make it any better.

Alya was obviously very friendly, witty, with a touch of charm—but one could not forget she was incredibly intimidating. This quality naturally deterred any approaching suitors or flirts left and right. She was a woman who was not afraid to voice her thoughts and make her expectations clear.

 

➸

 

“You know Nino, you could just, I don’t know—ask her out.”

As quickly as it began, Lahiffe was ripped out of his daily daydream about the girl who was miles out of his league. Nino turned to Adrien, now fully present due to rudely being stirred from his trance.

“Uh, yeah I don’t think so. Remember what happened when Alix’s brother took a pass at her?” he quickly retorted.

Adrien gave him a look and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Come on Nino, you and Jalil are two different people. Besides, he wasn’t exactly friends with Alya—therefor you have an advantage .”

“—and that “advantage” totally worked in my favor when you set me up with Mari. Model or not, we are both in the same boat when it comes to this sort of stuff." 

He lightly smirked, "The man can dish out advice, but he doesn’t follow it. What happened to that chick you kept talking about?”

That final remark prompted a rosy flush to spread across his friend’s cheeks. Adrien stammered and ran his hand through his locks. Nino chuckled as a train of explanations and excuses surrounding this mysterious girl poured out of Adrien. Nino had interrogated the blonde multiple times in the past about her, but to no avail. No word or crumb of information about the topic could be extracted out of him, which made it difficult when Adrien sought his advice or his opinion on the matter. This inability to help Adrien was…frustrating to say the least. The truth was, they both were nervous wrecks when it came to romance. 

“—so in short things are…complicated. I’ll sort it out eventually—but I can’t really talk about it.. But that doesn’t change the fact you have a chance with Alya, so I wouldn’t brush it aside Nino.” 

Adrien's eyes were locked intently on him.

“Alright, alright! Sheesh bro…once I grow a pair I’ll take a swing at it, ok?”,  Nino muttered.

 After that final retort they both laughed and the conversation was put to rest, for the time being.

 

➸

 

The teenagers basked in Paris’ afternoon light, watching as the sun’s gold and rosy hues were slowly engulfed by the Seine.The atmosphere was pleasant and serene, an oddity for the usually bustling city.Whether purposely or by chance, it seemed like the boy’s choice of scene worked in his favor—so much so this magnitude of luck started to appear suspicious. The twosome were seated on a bench near the riverbank. The conversation had been lackluster during the time spent together on their way to the river, until Alya shifted and faced him directly.

“So I’m curious Lahiffe…” 

She was smiling mischievously, it only prompted his nerves. Whether or not she was aware of the fact didn’t seem to make a difference.

“Why did it take you so long to approach me?”

He blinked silently as if he did not understand the question, perhaps in attempt to dodge it. Clearly she wasn’t going to let him escape so easily.

Alya chuckled and gave him a look. “Oh come on, I’m not a naïve little girl, don’t look so stunned. If I wasn’t observant I wouldn’t be a very good reporter now, would I?” She quipped. 

He sighed after a moment of silence.

“Alya…you aren’t the most approachable gal…” Nino responded in defeat.

With her mouth agape she shot him an incredulous look. “ _Not the most approachable_ , what is that supposed to mean exactly?”

Now it was his turn to smirk. “No need to get defensive, it’s common knowledge. A bit blunt at times….kinda intimidating…”

This in turn caused her to gasp in protest, she couldn’t help but smile at the amusing thought. “For your information I am _not_ intimidating. Fine, I may not be a Rose or Marinette, but seriously— _intimidating_? That’s a stretch Lahiffe.”

“Pff—sure sure Alya. You terrify most dudes within a one hundred meter radius. Yo, plenty of guys fawn over you, I’m not going to lie, but they would never dare to step within your range. Hey—take the most recent case; two weeks ago, in chemistry. That one dude—Pierre was it? Yeah, he made one move and before he even FINISHED you verbally tore him to shreds. And so, my point definitely stands. Intimidating.”

“Oh please, Pierre was a total sleaze. He tried the same thing just the hour before on some other girl—that boy needed to be put in his place. I only did him a favor…As for the rest of you, have you considered the idea that you might all be a bunch of wooses?”

Now it was his turn to give her the look. Nino was amused by her baffled expression and proceeded to list the many other occasions Alya managed to petrify a significant amount of their male classmates. He was eventually interrupted by one of the young reporter’s groans, thus signaling he made his point and her defeat. 

“Ok ok fine…I got the point.” She rolled her eyes. With a sigh her attention turned back to the Seine. The sky’s slow transition into dusk was mirrored on its glistening surface. The visual was breath-taking, and the constant sound emitted from the coursing river created a lull. The river’s movements were unpredictable—patternless yet somehow each movement seemed purposeful and unforced. As the water streamed, rushed and pooled it mixed the different hues reflected on its surface. The pair drank the scene, momentarily distracted from the conversation. However Alya eventually interrupted their moment of silence. 

“…Is it that bad? I never really thought about it that way before.”

Nino shrugged in response. He himself never considered her brash nature as a negative quality. Yes, truthfully it was an obstacle for him—but that was what truly made her so unique and lively. 

“I mean, sure, it makes things challenging. But I actually think it’s kinda hot.” The words simply spilled out as an afterthought.

 

_Shit_.

 

“AH—U-Uh I mean hot as in cool or dope! You get me, right? It’s a thing. Yeah..” He grit his teeth and nodded, hoping to appear somewhat convincing. Unfortunately, it did not seem to be the case. At least her laughter was nice to hear, even if it was in response to his blubbering. Thus he caved and couldn’t help but join her, poking fun at himself. The laughter however, was followed by something that made him somewhat giddy. She actually smiled. Its nature was different. It was genuine and appreciative—not like the usual sly or snarky ones he received for clowning around. 

“…So yeah, does that answer why it took so long for me to ask you for a super-casual-lunch-hangout.” She snorted at the final remark while he winked in return. “—that explanation covers the like solid three months of ogling, no?”

 Alya gave him another doubtful look. He put his hands up defensively.

 “Fiiiiiine, yes it was a lot longer than three months. But hey, give me some credit, at least I got to it eventually…with a lot of harassment from Adrien.”

 “ _What_? Poor Nino _harassed_? By the model extraordinaire? Oh the cruelty. You should file a report to Mr. Damocles right away.” She teased slyly.

 He grinned widely in response; “I know right!? Someone should bring my brother to justice. He’s been on the loose for way too long! Maybe I’ll call Chat Noir and Ladybug to reel that sucker in.”

 She crossed her arms and smirked; “You better let me know if you do Lahiffe, I do not want to miss that action.” He nodded in agreement, trying to subdue his snickers. They both took a few sips from their lukewarm drinks. The mood shifted leisurely into buzzed and merry-like state. There were a few beats of silence before Nino piped up again.

 “—Ya’ know Alya, it’s not just you in particular. Remember that whole fiasco with Mari like two years ago?”

 “Hm, you’re referencing that time all four of us were at the zoo for that perfectly timed akuma attack. I didn’t even get to reach the action because I was locked in a cage with a monkey all afternoon.” she finished with a wink.

 Nino was puzzled. What was she referring too? “Huh? There was no monkey when we were tra—“ Before he finished his sentence he finally caught the diss and clamped his mouth shut. He huffed, “Yeah, that afternoon. Anyway back to what I was trying to say. That was my sad attempt at asking Mari out—of course with the help of a very smooth male model wingman.” A note of sarcasm could be detected in his voice towards the end.

 Alya smacked her lips before retorting, “Oh god that. Well if we knew what sort of shenanigans you two dorks were up to, that day would have never happened. Not to mention you and Mari wouldn’t have even lasted two days as “couple”. The lack of chemistry was obvious—no offense.”

 She wasn’t wrong in that regard. “Yeahhhh none taken at all, I think. Probably should’ve realized that before that tragedy happened. Marinette is cute but—“

 She cut in icily before he could finish, “—Watch what you say next Lahiffe.” 

 The teen sucked in some air before gulping and proceeded to finish his sentence. “—but she’s not my type. I totally did not see that until you—“ 

 Oh. No, not this again. He quickly back tracked out of that trap and tried to smoothly cover it up. 

 “You see, us guys aren’t very…bright when it comes to stuff like that. Aaaand it was quite obvious I was basically a complete wreck while trying to ask her out…so this… to no surprise … took … longer … you get my point. ” 

 Nino cleared his throat in attempt to move the conversation along. This afternoon only affirmed his distaste for emotionally opening up and explaining himself. Somehow, it was easier with her though—perhaps relieving even. 

 Alya was not oblivious to his discomfort, being the observant reporter she was. Her expression softened, his distress bothered her, so she decided to veer the conversation away from him. 

 “But I agree it’s completely true—guys are so painfully oblivious. Even with that whole ordeal, along with the rest of the time after that, Adrien still has not picked up the fact Marinette has the biggest crush on him.” A long groan escaped her lips as she dragged her hands down her face. “Holy shit it’s so exhausting to watch those two. For crying out loud! How can that boy be so smart but so dense at the same time!? Marinette practically becomes butter every time she sees him!”

 

…

Wait. _What_?

 

“WAIT— WHAT !? Holy shit, Marinette has a crush!? On him!? _Adrien_!?” Apparently this fact flew straight over Nino’s head as well.

 It was not surprising Alya was ready to tear her hair out. She could literally feel the IQ level of France slip down a few points. Her hand flew straight to her forehead with an audible smack. 

“Really Lahiffe? I do hope you’re joking. A rock could have picked that up. Both you and blondie have a lot more in common than I initially realized. Yes, Marinette has the biggest crush I have ever seen on our Adrien.” She smirked, “Do you now see the irony in that little ‘date’ you had with her?”

Well, this sudden epiphany did provide a few answers. Presumably his sweet friend believed that that date was not in fact with him, but with Adrien. Gee. Nino mentally winced, that must have stung when she realized Adrien was not boy who actually inquired about the date. As the gears of his mind began turning everything slowly began to piece itself together. Throughout the past two years, Mari’s demeanor, questions, responses and hints became ever so obvious. His friend was truly and blissfully oblivious. How did Adrien miss all the signs so badly? How did he?

 “Ohhhhh…oh…oops…” The young DJ’s voice trailed off until silence surrounded them once more.

 “You see Alya! This proves my point! We’re like totally clueless! Yo—it’s not just us though. Girls are super hard to read.” The reporter raised an eyebrow in response.

 Nino now relied on hand gestures to emphasize whatever came out of his mouth. “Look, let’s say I say something to a group of girls. You know, something super simple, “It’s very sunny today”, for example—and you know what? Every single girl in that group will take that a totally different way—maaan I have no idea what they’ll come back at me with! It’s like walking across a minefield."

 The message the boy tried to relay appeared not to come across, resulting in an unimpressed Alya. 

 “Ok ok, except for you obviously. You see being intimidatingly straightforward has its benefits! It’s way easier for me to get what’s going on.”

 Alya shifted sideways and faced towards him with her elbow resting on the top of the bench and her chin against her hand. She smirked and gave him a sly look. “So I assume that means you got the hints I’ve been dropping for you?”

 

 “…”

 

During the process of mental self-strangulation the boy seemed to have missed the fact Alya was doubling over laughter. 

 “Oh wow Alya, _you’re hilarious_.” he retorted sarcastically.

 "I know, maybe you should take a few pointers Lahiffe.” 

 

➸

 

Unexpected feelings emerged as they began to confide things to each other. The back and forth seemed to warm them both, it felt so natural and comfortable. It continued on and the pair began to wander in all sorts of territory. He was fascinated by her interests and thoughts, confirming little details he already knew, learning new ones he didn’t. She too discovered facts about the boy in her class she thought she knew. The disconnect between them began to narrow and a growing bond took its place. What it released was unforeseen to both of them.

 Nino’s eyes carefully traced her fingers as she played with one of her locks. Fixating on her little mannerisms was enjoyable to him. However, he was still attentive to the conversation that took place.

 “I don’t know Nino…sometimes I feel like she’s distancing herself from me. I’ve been thinking—trying to wrack my brain and figure out what went wrong, but I just have no idea. We rarely hang out anymore—she’s always busy and when we do get the chance to talk she suddenly needs to run off somewhere.”

 There was a noticeable tone of frustration in her voice, but it was coupled with something else. “Look, it’s not that I’m mad, I’m just worried about her.Did you see her this week? She looked like a wreck! She’s always late, her grades are slipping and she is exhausted--and I have no idea why. What kind of friend am I? I don’t even know what’s going on with my best friend.”

 “…Alya…”

 “I think I’m putting more effort into journalism and the Ladyblog than in our friendship! Honestly, if Mari did that—I would probably pull away from my best friend too.”

 “…She doesn’t trust me anymore. I should be there for her…”

 “…but it looks like I haven’t been.”

 The expression on her face revealed more than the words it spoke. It wasn’t new. The seedling of that idea latched on to her some time ago and had taken root. Like a parasite it fed off that worry and the guilt emitted, it twisted and hurt her from within. The notion that her negligence was the source of her best friend’s aguish pained her.

 Marinette wasn’t the only person distancing herself. The situation had paralleled in his own relationship with Adrien over the past two years. However he did not associate his direct action, or lack thereof, with the issue’s culmination. Instead that train of thought led him to the conclusion other external forces in the young model’s life were responsible for the issues and stress. Nino assumed the pressure to be a paragon of excellence stemmed from Adrien’s father, whether it be scholastically, career-wise or as a son— _that_ was the source of Adrien’s ill-being.

 …Was Alya right though? Had he been oblivious to all the signs as well? Maybe he wasn’t doing enough to help his best friend. Maybe if he just talked to Mr. Agreste about it again, or if he supported Adrien more in rebelling against his father…things would be different. Was he…not being the friend Adrien needed?

 

“ _No_.”

 

Alya’s head quickly snapped up to meet his unwavering gaze. Nino was very aware that he was often in the wrong or made poor decisions in most scenarios. But this…this was different. He knew it was.He could see that her confidence and fire were beginning to waiver…and he felt it was his duty to rekindle the spirit and prop her back up.

 “Yo, I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong Alya. Man, sometimes you don’t even see it—but don’t deny the fact that you’ve have been amazing—as a friend, classmate and heck maybe even as a sister to Mari—I know it and she knows it.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and firmly gripped it, assuring her that his words held truth. She rolled her eyes nevertheless.

 “Look Nino—“ Alya attempted to cut in, but it was futile.

 “Oh no no no—I’m not done.” It seemed like he cut her off a bit briskly, judging from the expression he received. He squeezed his eyes shut, realizing that an interruption like that was probably not very wise…Yet, the air between them was oddly silent. He gingerly opened an eye and peeked down at her to gauge the reaction. Alya wasn’t pleased by it, but she quietly waited for him to continue.

 Nino breathed out a sigh of relief and returned her gaze once again, fully engaged. 

 “Alya, it may seem like it…but you aren’t the only one, ok? I swear on that. Everybody worries about the people they care about—and sometimes that love is tested or stretched thin. But you can’t beat yourself up over it. First of all, feelin’ guilty won’t really help if we’re bein’ honest—you or Mari.” 

“Second, if we’re being honest I don’t like seeing you beat yourself up, it’s not as cute when you do it to yourself.” He winked, making an attempt to slip some humor in the conversation. It prompted an eye roll, but he did catch some chuckles coming out of her, so it was a start.

As her tension dissipated, so did his grip on her shoulder. He was still for a moment before leaning back onto the bench. Given their conversation his thoughts wandered back to Adrien, along with the difficulties that seemed to follow the boy wherever he went. At some point without noticing the silent thoughts were spoken aloud. It started with parallels observed in his own friendship—the dwindling amount of time spent together as they grew older, the apparent increase in Adrien’s activities and career workload, his concerns about the boy’s tumultuous home-life and relationship with his father, the affect of lacking a mother.It was as if all the pieces had been accumulating for quite sometime now—there was room for no more. The seal was finally opened, prompting the release of it all. It angered him, oh it _really_ angered him. The worst part about it was the fact there was nothing he could really do. His hands were tied and he was solely left with the ability to kick and scream.

The conversation was beginning to set Nino on edge, emotionally speaking. He just could not stop himself from relentlessly going on and it was just too— 

Nino was blindsided by the sudden embrace. It was only when her arms fully wrapped around him did he notice what was happening. Naturally not a cell in his being fought it and he relaxed. They just sat there, quietly, until he calmed down completely. Alya eventually pulled away but her hands remained firm on his shoulders.

“You good, Lahiffe?” There was a genuine hint of concern in her voice.

This prompted a blush, having realized what he had just done. 

“U-uh yeah! Of course…No worries man.” Nino gently swatted her hands away from him in attempt to alleviate the supposed awkwardness of the situation. The awkwardness was definitely one-sided…it was not from Alya. He murmured a few apologetic words to top it off.

Alya found his attempts to smoothen his demeanor amusing. However the situation called for a somewhat serious approach from her.

“Nino, there’s nothing you need to be sorry about.” She playfully flicked his nose and continued, “You don’t ever have to be afraidabout being honest with me. I find it honorable actually and it’s appreciated.” Her reassuring gaze flicked up to meet his.Alya… _blinked_? Momentarily whatever was supposed to be said next was forgotten. It was never noticed before but…his eyes were so warm and welcoming, they were framed by thick, dark lashes…and made her feel brighter for some reason.   

 

Moments later her trance was broken by the cough of a confused teen.

 

“…Um…”

 Snapping back into reality felt a smack on the forehead. She mentally pinched herself for stooping down to a Marinette-esque level.

  _…Did she just blush?_

 After regaining composure and finding her train of thought again Alya continued, before Nino could deliberate longer on what just happened.

 “You don’t need to be sorry about how you feel—I would’ve been worried about Adrien too if I knew what was happening. I can’t believe his father…” 

 It was something not many would suspect. Outward appearances can misguide the fool. People often put the young model on a pedestal, but it never occurred to them the actions of doing so had implications to the simple boy behind him.The Agreste brand and legacy were grandiose enough to enough to overshadow the reality behind the scenes. Despite everything Adrien never displayed any signs of being neglected. He was well versed in the art of falsifying appearances, even going out of his way by lifting others to hide any signs of a struggle. 

  

“—But Nino I don’t think there’s much we can do about it.”

 

Nino’s visceral reaction was instantaneous. How could she say that? Simply brushing it off could be warranted for some situations, _but Adrien was his best friend._ He felt it his duty to lend support whenever it was needed most, moreover Adrien would feel the same way if the situation was reversed.

 The journalist cupped his face before continuing. “However it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t _try_. You don’t have to go at it alone either.”

 He beamed after hearing her words. A huge weight was lifted off his shoulders and things seemed to appear a little less bleak. Granted he wasn’t exactly surprised. History shows this isn’t the first time Alya had this kind of effect on him.

 Nino flashed her a grin. “Hey now, I’m not letting Marinette off the hook so easily either. In fact, there are ways we can give both of them a boost.”

 This however was a bit surprising. Alya crossed her arms with a smirk; “Oh really now? How do you plan to do that.”

 “Man—and you say us dudes are blind.” His grin seemed to get cheekier each minute. “We’re going to set ‘em up of course.” 

“Oh now you want to play cupid?” she scoffed. 

 “Haven’t you heard I’m a ladies’ man?” he quipped. “Adrien needs another brother’s guidance. Those two will get married and have little rascals before they realize there’s something going on between them.”

 

Time carried on while the teenagers were preoccupied by banter and each other’s company. The sun’s rays were eventually snuffed out by the Seine, replacing the scene with a chilly Parisian evening. A day’s activities were coming to a close. Discontented children were called home to join family and partake in supper. Small shops and boutiques along the riverfront served the few remaining customers and began preparing for the day ahead. Tourists strolled and chirped, eagerly awaiting the bustling activities the city’s nighttime had to offer. The shift in moment and pace had begun. In truth Alya was reluctant to see it happen, something wanted to keep her grounded. But the potential of what the future held seemed to pull as well. 

 With that sentiment she stood up. “You have a point Lahiffe, but only because I honestly can’t take those two for very much longer. The hopeless need love sometimes too, but the world can’t be solved tonight.”

 Nino watched her walk away and couldn’t help the twinge of hurt and disappointment he felt. His throat burned with the sudden surge of words he wanted to say and in response he swallowed hard, then shifted his gaze back down to the ground. It took every ounce of his being to fight the urge to run after her, to spin her around, to grab her face and—

 

“ _Hey!_ ”

 

His head shot up. _She was there_. Her arms were cross and she looked impatient, but she was there. 

 “Come on Lahiffe, how long do I have to wait for you? You are walking me home, _right_?”

 

That moment was indeed the highlight of his week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this mini drabble. I have like, three more planned? The next one features Chloé.

**Author's Note:**

> The drinking age in France and many European nations is 16 for soft liquor, beer and wine, Alya and Nino are about 16-17.
> 
> The next short/drabble will focus on Chloé Bourgeois, potential conflict or development, it won't be directly related to the narrative here but they do happen in the same "universe".


End file.
